Finding Your Spirit
by Light-Eco-Sage
Summary: Korra has really screwed up this time. Amon is one step closer to destroying all Bending, and if Korra is not able to contact Avatar Aang soon, she may never Bend again. Speculation.
1. The Screw Up

**Finding Your Spirit**

**By: Light-Eco-Sage**

**Rated: Teen for safety.**

**Summary: Korra has really screwed up now. Amon is one step closer to his goal of destroying all Bending and if Korra cannot get in contact with her spiritual side and Avatar Aang soon, she may never Bend again.**

**Disclaimer: **_**The Legend of Korra**_** is owned by Mike, Bryan, and Nickelodeon.**

**Spoilers: This story contains more speculation then spoilers.**

**LES: This story was originally going to be written for the current Kataang Forever Avatar writing contest. The theme is "Legend of Korra." But I didn't get it finished in time. So it's just a regular story now. But still a great idea.**

* * *

**Chapter I: The Screw Up**

Sitting up and waiting on a late teenager: it was a feeling that Katara was very familiar with. Her sons and daughter had all inherited her late husband's sense of adventure and would often disappear for days at a time. During those times, she would worry as all mothers would, but they'd always returned in the end, with tales of the things they'd done or the people they met.

Tenzin, however, was not used to the feeling. His own children were not old enough to desire an escape from their parents, so he had no idea what to do with himself now that Korra had been missing for over a day.

"Completely irresponsible." Tenzin muttered to himself as he paced. "Does she not understand how important her Airbending training is? I should have known better than to let her go gallivanting with those… Probending boys."

Katara sighed. Tenzin had most certainly inherited her temper and it was often directed at the teenage Avatar. "Tenzin, this is just what teenagers do. Don't you remember how you and your siblings would leave the island for days on end? Nothing bad ever happened to you."

"This is… different, Mother." Tenzin sighed. "Times are different now. "When we left the island, we were always safe. When we were teenagers, there was no anti-Bending revolution slowly swallowing the city. Korra could be anywhere. Anything could have happened."

"Lin has her people looking for Korra, doesn't she?" Katara asked.

Tenzin nodded. "She may not like that the Avatar is in Republic City, but even she would not risk her getting hurt."

"We just need to calm down and wait." Katara said. "Pema would tell you the same thing if she could."

Pema, Tenzin's pregnant wife, was now very close to term with her fourth pregnancy and had taken to laying down most of the day. She was currently having a nap right now, and Tenzin didn't dare disturb her, even for something as important as a missing Avatar.

He was just glad that his mother was here. She had come to visit Air Temple Island from the South Pole yesterday, to check on Korra's progress with Airbending. However, she had not returned at the usual time, which led to them standing around and waiting one day later.

A loud noise sounded out of the darkness and both Tenzin and Katara glanced around at the source. They could both see a strange, lopsided creature moving closer to them. Tenzin calmly shifted his stance, ready to Airbend at a moment's notice. This would not be the first time that the Equalist Chi-Blockers had attacked the island home of the new Air Nation. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his mother's hand find the stopper on her water bloat. Two masters: they were a match for anything the Chi-blockers could dish out.

However, they both froze when the thing moved into the light and they saw what it was. It was Korra, Mako, and Bolin. Mako had a noticeable limp, while Bolin's right arm hung uselessly at his side. Both of the boys were struggling to support the weight of their third member. Korra appeared to be completely prone, unable to walk or stand on her own.

"We're here." Mako grunted.

Korra lifted her head and met Tenzin's eyes. "Hey, Tenzin. I think I really screwed up this time." She said before her head drooped again.

Both Tenzin and Katara moved forward to help the three move towards the Temple. As they got closer to the building, the Air Acolytes noticed and rushed over to help. They relieved Mako and Bolin of their burden and assisted them in following the group.

While they settled Korra down on a bed, Katara turned her attention to the brothers. "Chi-blockers?" She asked.

"Yeah." Bolin said. "They got us pretty good."

Katara moved over to them. She could tell from the flow of their energy that they had, indeed, run afoul of the Equalist Chi-blockers. Back when she had fought against Ty Lee during the war, the only way to help the blocked chi was to either let it heal on its own or help the process with her Waterbending. But Katara knew better ways to help now. Ty Lee had taught her how to reverse the block using the same pressure points that were used to cause it.

She took Bolin's arm, studying the block. "This is going to hurt, but you'll feel better when it's done." Without giving Bolin time to protest, she manipulated the pressure points as quickly as she could. Bolin gasped in pain, but a few seconds later, he could feel his arm again.

He pumped his hand into a fist a few times, checking to see that everything worked again. "Thanks, um…"

"Katara." The old Waterbender supplied her name as she worked her magic on Mako's side, returning feeling to his leg.

"Katara? _The_ Master Katara? Avatar Aang's widow?" Mako asked, massaging his leg to get feeling to it again.

"Yes, she is my mother." Tenzin interjected. "Mother, I think you should come look at Korra." As Katara took his place at Korra's side, Tenzin moved over to the Bending brothers. "You'll have to wait outside."

"What?" Bolin protested. "Do you know what we had to do? She was captured by _Amon_, and we busted her out of there without any help from anyone else!"

"And I thank you for it." Tenzin said. "But we need to find out what is wrong with her. "This isn't just a Chi-block."

"How do you know?" Mako asked. "I've seen the Chi-blockers completely immobilize someone before."

"Because it should have worn off by now." Tenzin said seriously, leading them towards the door and closing it behind them.

Over at the bed, Katara was carefully examining Korra. "Can you tell me what happened?" She asked.

"Yeah." Korra said. "I had just left the Probending arena for training, and I was ambushed by some of the Equalists. At first, I didn't have a problem holding them off, but Amon showed up." Korra shuttered. "He did something to me while I was distracted with the others. It must've been some weird Chi-blocking technique because the next thing I knew I couldn't bend or move. They dragged me back to their hideout. I'm not sure how long I was in there, but Mako and Bolin were able to break me out."

"Korra, this is very important." Katara began. "When Amon grabbed you, do you remember how he grabbed you?"

"Yeah…" Korra said thoughtfully after some hesitation. "That's the weird part. He was behind me… he reached around and grabbed by forehead and my, um… chest. That's when I couldn't remember anything else."

Korra knew instantly that something was serious. Katara let out a heavy sigh and lowered her head. Tenzin watched his mother. "Mother, is this a type of Chi-blocking that you've encountered before?"

"I have encountered it, but this is not Chi-blocking. This is worse than that. Much worse." Katara said. "This sounds like Energybending to me."

"Energybending?" Korra asked, confused. She'd never heard of it, and yet the phrase awakened something in the deepest pits of her memory. It meant something to her, but she couldn't figure out what. "What's that?"

"Energybending was a lost form of Bending until seventy years ago, when it was rediscovered by Aang." Katara said.

"You mean…?" Tenzin began, horror dawning on his face. He'd obviously started to understand what had Katara so worried.

"Yes." Katara said.

"Well, I still don't understand. What's going on?" Korra said.

"I'm sure that the White Lotus must've told you stories about how Aang defeated Firelord Ozai."

"Yes, but they were never very clear." Korra said. "They just said that he made the Firelord incapable of bending, but they never explained how."

"That was deliberate." Katara said. "Aang did not what Energybending to become common knowledge. He didn't even talk to me about it, except for a few occasions. It was Energybending that he used to take away Firelord Ozai's Bending many years ago."

"But… you can fix it, right?" Korra asked hopefully. "Like you fixed Bolin and Mako, you can fix it, right?"

Katara sighed again. "Korra… I'm afraid that it's permanent."

For a long while, no one spoke. And then Korra growled. "No way! That's wrong! I'm the Avatar! There's no way a two-bit thug like Amon could take away my Bending with some dead Bending art!"

"I've always suspected that Amon was more dangerous than he appeared." Tenzin said softly. "But a man like that… having the ability to take people's Bending away… especially the Avatar's Bending?"

"No, that can't be true! There has to be a way to get my Bending back!" Korra yelled. "Master Katara, please!"

Katara gazed at the young Avatar with true pity in her eyes. "I do not know very much about Energybending, or if there is a way to reverse it. I can think of only one person who could help you: Aang."

"Um… Avatar Aang has been dead for seventeen years." Korra said. "How is he supposed to help me?"

"Then the answer is obvious." Tenzin said. "Korra must become in touch with her spiritual side and learn to cross over into the Spirit World. She can seek the guidance of my father there."

"You mean… if I don't manage to get to the Spirit World, I'll never be able to Bend again?" Korra gasped.

"It seems that way." Tenzin said.


	2. Finding Your Spirituality

**Chapter II: Learning Your Spirituality**

* * *

After Tenzin and Katara had stepped out of the room, Korra sat on the bed, lost in her own thoughts. Katara had been working on her for over ten minutes with her healing abilities, but she had not been able to give Korra more than limited mobility. She could sit up, but that was about it.

Katara had explained it to her as best as she could. Bending was a fundamental aspect of a Bender. Taking that away from a Bender took away something vital inside them. It was like losing a leg. Korra had asked if she'd ever walk again. Katara hesitated before telling Korra that the former Firelord Ozai, the only known victim of Energybending in modern history, never took another step for the rest of his life after Avatar Aang took his Firebending away.

Korra felt it, for the first time in her life. She had always struggled with picking up on the Spiritual aspect of Bending, and now she felt like Amon tore a hole in her chest where her abilities used to be.

She had tried small amounts of Bending, the simplest moves that she'd known since she was a little girl: none of them had worked, not in the slightest. It was true: like Chi-blocking, except permanent.

The door opened and Mako and Bolin stepped into the room. Neither one of them spoke as they moved to Korra's bedside.

"I'm a failure as the Avatar, aren't I?" Korra spoke softly. "Avatar Aang was called the greatest Avatar who ever lived. When he died, everyone loved him. And look at me…" She snorted. "Avatar Aang brought peace to a world at war. I can't even bring peace to a single city. And, to top it all off, I've lost my Bending ability… maybe permanently."

"You're a lot of things, Korra, but you are not a failure." Mako said earnestly.

"And Avatar Aang wasn't perfect either." Bolin commented. "He went missing for a hundred years, didn't he? That's what caused the Hundred Year War to go for so long."

"But he never lost his Bending, did he?" Korra asked bitterly.

"My husband lost a great many things over the course of his life." Mako and Bolin jumped to attention as Katara stepped into the room. "A few months before he faced the Firelord, he lost the ability to go into the Avatar State."

Korra laughed bitterly. "And I've never even been _in_ the Avatar State."

"Only because you are protected in a way that Aang wasn't." Katara said. "But Tenzin and I are going to help you. We are going to help you reach the Spirit World and contact Aang's spirit. He's the only one who can help you now." She glanced at the two boys. "Would you mind helping me?" She asked.

"Of course, Master Katara." Mako said instantly.

"She'll need to get outside for this. Tenzin's all ready waiting for us." Mako nodded in understanding and moved over towards Korra. He picked her up, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. Together, the three of them walked out of the room and out of the Temple.

"Where are we going?" Korra asked.

"To Aang's memorial." Katara answered, turning her gaze on the giant statue of her late husband a short way across the bay. "It is a highly spiritual place, one that is directly associated with him. If there is any place where you'll be able to contact him, it will be there."

* * *

Korra was pleased to see that the whole of the memorial had been cleared out prior to her arrival. The only people there now were the Air Acolytes who tended to the shrine.

Close up, Korra couldn't believe the size of Aang's statue. Katara noticed her gaze as she stared up at it. "It is the largest statue of him that was ever built." Katara said. "He never really liked the idea of having a huge statue of himself, but he also knew that the people wanted it."

Underneath Avatar Aang's regal gaze, and without her Bending, Korra felt so unworthy of carrying on his legacy. He had died in a peaceful world, and her only job was to not screw it up. Instead, she'd just made a worse mess than any Avatar ever.

Inside the memorial was just as regal as the towering statue outside. The walls were covered of paintings of Avatar Aang throughout his life. The walls were also lined with relics from his life, the most famous of which was his glider-staff. It was not his first one, that had been destroyed in the war. It was built for him by the Earth Kingdom refugees that were living in the Northern Air Temple at the time.

Katara moved over to one side of the room, smiling sadly at a painting that Korra realized must've been on their wedding day. The painting depicted both Avatar Aang and Master Katara in their late teens, dressed in the beautiful formal finery that was only worn for weddings, and sharing a loving embrace and kiss. There were pictures of each of his children, including Tenzin.

There were pictures of the war: images from stories that were told to children about the heroic Avatar Aang.

The picture at the focal point of the room was the most unusual. It showed a land of rocky pillars, with two indistinct figures on top of one of the pillars. They were glowing, one a deep orange and the other bright blue. The light from the two figures colored the sky around them, dividing the sky and the painting in half between the two figures.

"This painting is the only representation of my father Energybending Firelord Ozai." Tenzin commented. "My Uncle, Sokka, described it for the artists.

Korra stared at the painting. The figure of Avatar Aang looked so young. She had almost forgotten that he was only thirteen years old when he faced Firelord Ozai in that battle. Only thirteen years old and a Master of the Four Elements and the Avatar State. A feat surpassing all Avatars.

Bolin was off to the side, examining the remains of an old outfit that, according to the plaque, was the remains of the very outfit that Avatar Aang had worn in his battle against Firelord Ozai.

"He just wore a pair of pants into the battle?" Bolin asked, shocked.

"No." Katara said. "He wore a tunic too, but that was completely destroyed during the battle." She suddenly smiled. "Tenzin, do you remember the story about the town of Chin?"

"Yes, of course." Tenzin said, blinking in confusion. "That was the town that blamed Avatar Kyoshi for the murder of their leader and tried to punish father for it. He was set to be boiled in oil, but then he saved the town from the Rough Rhinos, so they let him go. Why?"

"When Aang was on trial, I made him wear Avatar Kyoshi's outfit in the hope that it would call Avatar Kyoshi to him. It worked, but I'd forgotten how silly he looked in that make up."

"Whoa, hey… I'm not going to strip down naked and wear nothing but a pair of old ragged pants in the hope that Avatar Aang might come." Korra interjected.

"Don't worry, that won't be necessary… we hope." Tenzin said. "Tomorrow is the start of the Summer Solstice. The solstice is the day when the Spiritual World and the physical world are at their closest. The first time my father was able to contact Avatar Roku was during the Winter Solstice."

"Okay… so what do I do until tomorrow?" Korra asked.

"You will spend the night mediating." Tenzin said. "If my father is right, his power in the Spirit World will be great enough to pull you over during the Solstice. But you'll need to meet him halfway."

"You mean that while you guys get to explore the memorial, I have to sit here doing nothing?" Korra demanded.

"Mediating, Korra." Tenzin said. "And I will mediate with you, for company."

"Right. Because I'm so much better at mediating when I have company."

"You can leave her here, Mako." Tenzin said. Mako did as he was told and set her down. "You are free to explore the island, but do not touch anything. Everything on this island belongs to the Air Nation and I will not tolerate thievery."

"We're not thieves." Mako said, a little bitterly. Mako was a smart guy, and he knew that Tenzin did not approve of him, his brother, or how they lived their lives.

"My apologizes." Tenzin said, sitting down on the floor in front of Korra. As usual, he was able to mediate quickly. Korra rolled her eyes towards her two friends, and attempted to join Tenzin. For once, she did not fidget or move around, but made an intense effort to stay still and silent.

She had lost the luxury of screwing around with the spiritual side of Bending. If Tenzin and Katara were right, if she didn't manage to make contact with Avatar Aang tomorrow, it would be six months before she could try again. The world couldn't afford to have an Avatar with no Bending abilities for six months.

"Let's leave them." Katara whispered to the two Bending brothers. "I'll show you around the island."

When Mako and Bolin were young children, and their parents were still alive, they had visited Avatar Aang's memorial once before. However, this was an entirely new experience. Back then their tour guide had been a young Air Acolyte who only knew Avatar Aang in his later years. This time, they were being shown around the site by the one person who probably knew him better than any person alive, and someone who traveled with him on his journey to end the war.

It wasn't that their other tour guide had been bad; it was just that the significance of some of the items escaped him. Master Katara knew all of the stories, and repeated them for Mako and Bolin's benefit.

She told the stories different from the way they heard them before. They always heard of Avatar Aang being a sort of demigod who never doubted himself and never did wrong. Master Katara spoke of his fears, hopes, failures, and doubts as easily as his triumphs.

As Katara showed them some of Avatar Aang and Firelord Zuko's letters as they spoke about the beginning of the United Republic of Nations and Republic City, Katara suddenly said: "Did you two know that Aang was against making the United Republic at first?"

This shocked both the brothers. "He was?" Bolin asked.

"Oh, yes." Master Katara said. "They disagreed so strongly about it at first that it led to quite a fight between them."

"You mean the famous friends yelled at each other?" Bolin asked.

"Yelled?" Katara laughed a little. "It was a full-blown Bending fight! Aang went into the Avatar State and nearly killed Zuko. He probably would have if I hadn't been there to stop it."

"The Avatar State…" Mako said thoughtfully. "What's it like?"

For a while, Katara didn't answer. "I can't tell you what it was like to go into the Avatar State, but I can tell you what it was like when I saw Aang do it. Before he learned how to control it, it was like he turned into a wild animal. It ran purely on instinct and lashed out at whatever was threatening Aang, those he loved, or the balance of the world. When he gained control of it, he was still awe-inspiring. The Avatar State gave him the strength of a thousand Benders. It's hard to even imagine the strength that the Avatar in the Avatar State possesses until you see it with your own eyes. Korra will certainly be even stronger with Aang's strength added to the pool."

"Why doesn't Tenzin teach her how to harness that power?" Bolin asked. "With that sort of power, you could easily wipe out all of the Equalists!"

"That would not solve the problem." Katara said. "You would only be validating their ideas that Benders are holding them down. Korra could certainly destroy Amon in an instant if she chose, but another would rise up in his place. Only the sort of restraint that Aang was so good at can possibly led to peace."

* * *

The night was passing slowly in the building's main chamber. Not a word was spoken between Tenzin and Korra until well past midnight. It was only then that Korra started to fidget and Tenzin took pity on her, calling an end to the mediation for now.

She had done much better than he could have ever imagined and she deserved a small break.

"I'm kinda curious, Tenzin…" Korra began softly. "Just how long could you stay in mediation?"

"The longest I've ever mediated was three days." Tenzin answered, and Korra's jaw dropped.

"Three days?" She gasped. "How is that possible?"

"It was very intense, and something that only a guru or an Air Nomad could have accomplished. But it was necessary." He tapped his forehead. "Getting all these tattoos would have been impossible if I hadn't been in a state of deep mediation through the process."

"Oh. I guess that makes sense." Korra said. "Tenzin?"

"Yes, Korra?"

"What was Avatar Aang like? I mean… what was he _really_ like?"

Tenzin smiled fondly at the memories of his father. "My father was the gentlest person that you could imagine. He was not the sort of Avatar that you would expect to come out of a time of war: war-hardened and bitter. But the thing that defined him most was his ability to forgive. Even I have trouble comprehending his ability to forgive even those who were directly responsible for the destruction of the Air Nomads. His gentle personality was just what the world needed to heal from the Hundred Year war."

"Well, I guess the Avatar Spirit picked wrong this time, because I'm pretty much the exact opposite of what the world needs."

"You are what the world needs, Korra." Tenzin said. "You just don't know it yet. Now, we will return to mediation."

"Okay." Korra sighed, settling back down again.


	3. Meeting Aang

**Chapter III: Meeting Aang**

* * *

The last place that Katara took Mako and Bolin was a place that they'd most certainly not been on their last visit to the island: Avatar Aang's tomb.

It was a simple room, the only feature being the sealed sarcophagus in the center and a statue of Avatar Aang standing behind the sarcophagus. It was different from the regal statue lording over the island overhead. It was more natural, showing the Avatar with a soft smile on his face.

"The statue outside is how the world sees my husband. But this is how I see him." Katara said with a smile.

Mako and Bolin could see what she was saying. This statue made it much easier to believe that Avatar Aang was just as human as they were along with Master Katara's stories.

"Was it… difficult… to love him?" Mako asked.

Katara did not respond for several minutes. "At times, it was." She finally answered. "Loving Aang was the most natural thing in the world to me. Loving the Avatar is significantly more difficult. But, I stayed by his side, no matter what." She paused, glancing up at the ceiling. Mako did the same thing.

"What?" Bolin asked.

"It's daybreak." Katara replied. "It is now the solstice."

"Do-or-die." Mako concurred.

They only had a few more moments of silence before something happened that nearly scared Mako and Bolin to death. With almost no warning at all, the eyes and tattoos on Aang's statue began to glow with an unearthly light. Mako and Bolin jumped away from it, but Katara did not react with fear. She gasped, "Aang!" and turned and ran out of the room.

Mako and Bolin quickly exchanged a look before they realized that something must've happened to Korra and they quickly followed the old Waterbending master away from Avatar Aang's remains and the creepy glowing statue.

The three made it back to the island's central chamber to find both Tenzin and Korra still mediating. However, Korra's eyes were glowing with the same unearthly light that had shown from Avatar Aang's statue.

Tenzin looked up as his mother and Korra's friends entered. "She has been successful in traveling to the Spirit World."

"What does that mean? Is she okay?" Mako asked urgently.

"She's fine." Tenzin assured the young man. "She will be fine as long as we do not move her body. Her spirit is now floating free in the spiritual world, and her physical body is her way back into the physical world."

"So, how long might this take?" Bolin asked.

This time, it was Katara who answered. "The first time Aang traveled to the Spirit World to talk to Avatar Roku, he was in the Spirit World for every possible moment that he could get until sundown. Aang could keep her there for that long."

With nothing else to do, the small group settled into the duties of guarding the vulnerable Avatar.

* * *

Crossing over into the Spirit World gave Korra an entirely unique feeling, one that she could hardly describe, so she knew that she had to be getting pulled into the Spirit World by her previous incarnation.

She was a little apprehensive about meeting him. Avatar Aang's legend and stories were still told decades later. And, now, with her recent failure, she hardly felt worthy of being in his presence.

The world dissolved around her and she was suddenly at the top of the tallest mountain in an unknown mountain range. She was not alone. She recognized him instantly from his many statues and paintings. It was Avatar Aang, in his mid-thirties. The feeling that she got from him was, to her shock, not of one of the most powerful Avatars who ever lived, but more like Tenzin, a humble man with the hefty weight of destiny on his shoulders. Of course, his time in the forefront had ended seventeen years ago. It was now his job to be a mentor and guide for the new Avatar. He gazed at her with wise eyes that were filled with equal parts happiness and sorrow.

"Good morning, Korra." Avatar Aang said. "It is so good to finally meet you face-to-face."

"You know me?" Korra asked.

"Of course I know you." Avatar Aang said. "You may not have known it, but I've been watching over you your whole life from here in the Spirit World, always ready to jump in and assist you if you needed it. I'm proud to say that you've done very well on your own. Relying too much on the Avatar State can be a dangerous thing."

"Yeah, a lot of good it's done me." Korra said bitterly. Avatar Aang did not seem put off by her rudeness at all. Though, if he really had known her all her life, then he'd know very well that she was blunt and hard-headed. "Avatar Aang, I'm in desperate need of your guidance regarding Energybending."

"I know." Avatar Aang said. "I saw the whole thing, even if you do not remember it."

"Why don't I remember it?" Korra interrupted.

"The simple answer is that when you lose an Energybending contest with someone, your very spirit is so violated by the feeling of a foreign energy taking over and twisting it into something unnatural that you make yourself forget for the sake of your own sanity." Avatar Aang said. "Come, sit with me, Korra. We have a lot to talk about."

Korra did as he asked, taking a seat across from the powerful Avatar. Avatar Aang paused for a while, seemingly to gather his thoughts, and then he began.

"I discovered Energybending just hours before I faced Firelord Ozai in that last great battle. Energybending is a lost Bending art that is older than even the Avatar or elemental Bending. Because it is older than the Avatar, it is not an ability that every Avatar has. I only had it because I am the descendent of the ancient Energybenders. You, Korra, do not have this ability."

"Then how can I fight Amon?" Korra asked.

"I will get to that. We have all day, and I need you to understand everything that you can about Energybending. I'm sure that my wife and son told you everything they could about it. I went my whole life without speaking about it in detail to anyone. I wanted Energybending to die, once again, with me and for the knowledge to be lost. And it seems that the very situation that I was afraid of has come to pass. Another man descended from the Energybenders has come to light, and he is a man who will stop at nothing until all Bending is destroyed. You _must_ stop him Korra."

"And how am I supposed to do that?" Korra asked. "I'm sure you noticed that when Amon got me, he took away my Bending abilities. Even Tenzin said that it's permanent."

"My son has a limited understanding of Energybending, at best, and even he does not have knowledge of the deepest Avatar secrets." Avatar Aang said. "Korra, there is no being on this earth, mortal or immortal, that has the power to take away the Avatar's Bending. Even the Spirits cannot do this because they answer to the ultimate spirit: the spirit of the planet, the Avatar's immortal spirit. Your Bending has not been taken away. Even Energybending cannot permanently remove someone's Bending."

"But… what about when you took away Firelord Ozai's Bending. Katara said that he was never able to Bend again." Korra said. "She said that you took away his Bending."

"I lied, for the good of the world." Avatar Aang said. "I told everyone that it was gone for good so that they would have no hope of reversing it. Energybending cannot give what is not there, nor can it take away the fundamental aspects of a person's character, such as their Bending. What I did to Ozai was I took the spark of his Firebending and buried it so far deep into the hidden confines of his spirit that he was never able to access it again. If he had the patience to mediate for a few years, he could have rediscovered the spark within him and regained his Firebending. But he did not know that the process could be reversed, so he never tried."

"So… you are basically telling me that the process can be reversed? That I can get my Bending back?" Korra asked. "But… do you really think that I have the time to mediate for a few years?"

"No, of course not." Avatar Aang said. "Remember, Korra, I told you that I was always watching out for you. In all the time you've been alive, I've only taken over your body one time: while Amon was Energybending you. I could not stop him from winning, because that was on you alone, but I was able to stop him from making the damage too bad. I'd say a few weeks of intense mediation is all you need to rediscover yourself."

"But how can I stop this from happening again?" Korra asked. "If I cannot Energybend, how can I fight him?"

"You do not need to have the ability to Energybend to defend yourself from it." Avatar Aang said. "You do not have the power to initiate an Energybending contest, but if you find yourself drawn into one with Amon, you can defend against him and even win. Energybending requires ultimate knowledge of oneself. You must have the ability to find those core values that make up who are and use them as your shield. The one who taught me how to Energybend called it having an unbendable spirit. The person with the most conviction in themselves will win the contest, and the other person will be completely at their mercy. If you ever find yourself facing Amon in an Energybending contest again, believe in yourself. Do not stop fighting against him even if it seems like he is winning. As the Avatar, you have a spiritual strength that goes far beyond what anyone can stand against."

"Avatar Aang?" Korra began.

"Yes, Korra?"

"I'm really sorry that I've messed up so badly." She said, hanging her head in shame.

"This is not your fault, Korra. This is mine." Avatar Aang said. "When the Avatar before me, Avatar Roku, died he left me the Hundred Year War to sort out. He could have stopped it before it started, but he didn't, and it fell on my shoulders to do so. I worked my whole life to hide the secrets of Energybending, but the knowledge survived somehow. Because I reintroduced Energybending into the world, Bending itself is under threat." He sighed. "The one thing that you must understand is that Avatars are not perfect, no matter what heroic stories you've heard about me. We have character flaws, and we make mistakes just like everyone else. Don't let yourself be overwhelmed with the fact that you made a mistake. Learn from your mistakes, and the mistakes of your past lives. Now, Korra, it is nearly sundown…"

"Sundown?" Korra gasped in shock. "But I've only been her for about ten minutes, right?"

"Time passes differently in the Spirit World." Avatar Aang said. "There is one more thing that I need to do. Will you allow me to inhabit your body so I can speak to Katara and Tenzin? I will give them the information they need to help you recover your Bending."

"Are you sure that you don't just want to see your wife and son again?"

"I do want to see them again." Avatar Aang admitted. "Will you give me permission?"

"But, wait… before you go, what if I need to speak to you again?" Korra asked. "Do I really have to wait for the solstices?"

"No." Avatar Aang said. "Now that we have completed the link between us, you will be able to communicate with me whenever you want. All it will take is simple mediation. Your permission, Korra?"

"Okay, you have my permission." Korra said uncertainly.

"Thank you." Avatar Aang said, bowing.

* * *

Korra had not moved a muscle all day, which was something that Mako thought he'd never see. Korra was always active, always getting into trouble, and never staying still for more than a minute or two.

Tenzin and Katara both watched the progress of the sun. "It's nearly sundown." Tenzin commented. "She should be back soon."

"Do you really think that Avatar Aang will be able to help her?" Bolin asked.

"If anyone can, it's Aang." Katara said.

Suddenly, all of them were cut off when a fierce wind tore through the room, centering on Korra's form. Mako, Bolin, and Tenzin took a step backwards, but Katara, who recognized what was happening instantly, moved forward.

"Aang!" She gasped.

Indeed, to the shock of the other three, Avatar Aang himself stood where Korra once sat. He smiled sadly at his wife. "Hello, Katara. Long time, no see."

"Long time, no see, yourself, Aang." Katara whispered emotionally. "Oh, Aang… I've missed you so much…" She moved forward, pulled him into an embrace, and kissed his cheek.

"Katara? Do I need to remind you that I'm only here in spirit and this is Korra's body?" Aang asked.

"I don't care." Katara replied.

Aang looked past her towards his son. "Hello, Tenzin."

"Father." Tenzin gasped.

"Korra is going to need all the help that she can in order to put things right. But before I say how to help, you must swear that you will never make this knowledge public. That goes for you two as well, Mako and Bolin."

"You…" Mako gasped. "You _know_ us?"

"Korra knows you, and therefore, I know you." Aang said.

The group quickly swore that they would never repeat another word, and Aang quickly explained to them how Energybending worked, and gave details to Tenzin on how to reverse it, both in general and specifically for Korra. "Do you understand, Tenzin?"

"Yes, yes." Tenzin said quickly. "I can't believe that it was reversible all along. Firelord Ozai never even suspected…"

"We can use this method to maybe help all of the people who are the victims of Amon." Katara said.

"I hope that there are no more victims. Korra was able to get off easy because I protected her. Others are not so lucky." He glanced up at the sun. "I must go soon. The sun is setting and the solstice is ending."

"Aang…" Katara began, tears forming in her eyes.

"Katara, my love… we'll be together again soon, I promise." He said, and turned towards his son. "Tenzin, I'm so proud of you. And remember that Korra still needs to learn her Airbending once she gets her abilities back."

"I'll devote myself to her training." Tenzin promised. "Thank you, Father."

Aang smiled at them as the sun began to set. "I love you both. And I long for the day when we'll be reunited once more." As soon as the sun disappeared over the horizon, Aang closed his eyes, there was another strong gust of wind, and Korra was left standing in Aang's place.

Katara moved quickly, catching Korra before she fell to the ground. Channeling was always difficult on the host, and Korra's physical body was weakened to begin with.

Korra groaned as she came too. "Is it always so tiring when one of your past lives takes over your body?" She asked groggily.

"Yes." Katara replied.

"Then I hope it was worth it." Korra sighed, slumping against Katara. Mako and Bolin jumped forward, removing the burden from the old Waterbender.

"It was worth it. It certainly was worth it." Katara said with a smile. She had, after all, been given the chance to see her husband one more time, even if he was just channeling himself through Korra's body.

"It was more than worth it." Tenzin interjected. "My father taught me how to help you get your Bending back."

"Then let's do it." Korra said tiredly. She couldn't even keep her head up anymore, she was so exhausted.

"Rest first, Korra." Tenzin said. "You've done far better in the last twenty-four hours than I could have hoped for, but you will need rest for the trials ahead."

Korra, for once, didn't have the energy to argue with him. "Okay…" She whispered, allowing the brothers to support her weight.

"Let's take her back to the Temple for her rest." Tenzin suggested, leading the way out of the memorial, followed by his mother and the two boys.


End file.
